Ethanol blending in India Abinash Verma

DG, Indian Sugar Mills Association

Government policies

2002: Ethanol blending started in India

But not made mandatory

2007: Ethanol blending made mandatory at 5%

With a fixed procurement price

2013: Price decided through open tenders

Mandatory blending programme continued at 5%

2015: Back to fixed pricing mechanism

Offers invited by oil companies for 10% blending

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Fixed pricing policy from Jan, 2015

Ethanol procurement price no longer linked to crude oil price

Ethanol being pursued as a renewable, environment friendly fuel

And with objective to improve returns to farmers

Price fixed as delivered at oil depots

3 price slabs, based on distance between distillery and oil depot

Offer acceptance time reduced from 4-6 months to 15 days

Ethanol exempted from excise duty of 12.5% from 15-16 SS

Above steps have increased ethanol offers in 14-15, and again in 15-16

sugar season, when we expect to blend 5% with petrol

3

Supplies since 2011-12

8

413.9 382.2

300.6

674.1

1200.0

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Quantity Contracted

Policy changes and supplies

8

Fixed Price Policy Changed to market driven price policy

Changed to fixed price policy. Price not linked to crude oil/petrol price

Exemption from Central Excise duty

413.9 382.2

300.6

674.1

1200.0

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

Policy Change Quantity Contracted

Challenges which need to be

overcome for a successful

ethanol blending in future

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1. Ethanol producing capacity 7

Capacity to produce 224 crore litres of ethanol

200 crore litres capacity with 130 sugar mills

24 crore litres capacity with stand-alone distilleries too

Demand at 10% blending requires 266 crore litres

Need to increase distillation capacities

Which would also mean increase in storage capacities

Challenges on funds for investment

Cheap funds/priority sector lending

OMCs could also participate by increasing their storage

2. Adequacy of cane molasses

India is a surplus sugarcane producer for last 5 years and

expected to remain so in next few years too

Surplus sugar has become a burden on sugar and sugarcane producers

B-heavy molasses away from sugar to fuel ethanol

Can increase ethanol supplies to over 500 crore litres

Enough to go upto 15% ethanol blending

If required, can be further supplemented by cane juice

2nd generation feedstock including bagasse

Need for right price to encourage alternate feedstock

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3. Movement of ethanol

State Govt. permissions

To convert molasses into ethanol

Excise permissions

Inter-State NOCs from importing State

Taxes/duties on ethanol

Long distance transportation

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State-wise taxes & duties on ethanol

State Govt. Export Duty Import Duty VAT on intra-State

movement

Andhra Pradesh - - 5.5%

Delhi - 2.00 -

Gujarat - 3.00 -

Karnataka - - 5.5%

Kerala - 0.56 -

Madhya Pradesh - 1.00 -

Maharashtra 1.50 1.50 5%

Punjab - 2.00 -

Rajasthan - 1.00 -

Tamil Nadu - - 8%

Uttar Pradesh 1.00 - -

Uttarakhand - 1.10 -

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Goa

Clarity on Union and State powers on ethanol

Schedule VII of Indian Constitution demarcates Union-State

powers on alcohol and fuel ethanol

Supreme Court has held that State powers to legislate and levy taxes is

restricted to “liquor for human consumption”

Judgement also says that the Central Govt. should issue a notification to

this effect under Industrial Development & Regulation Act

Amendment to IDR Act passed by Lok Sabha in Winter

session

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GST on fuel/ bio-ethanol

Petroleum is proposed to be kept out of GST for 3 years

No clarity on how fuel ethanol would be treated

If ethanol kept out of GST:

Cenvat would not be available on GST paid on inputs like molasses etc.

GST paid on inputs would become a burden on the ethanol producers

It will increase cost of producing fuel ethanol

Plus States may then levy different taxes/duties on fuel ethanol

Our request is that a separate category of bio-fuels or

renewable energy be created and kept a part of GST

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Tax policy Thailand to incentivise ethanol

Blending % Tax Oil & Cons. Fund VAT

Unblended 7.70 10.25 3.14

GSH95-E10 6.93 3.55 2.65

GSH91-E10 6.93 1.45 2.49

E-20 6.16 -1.05 2.33

E-85 1.16 -11.35 1.60

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Rates in Thai Bhat per litre

Thank You